As 2007 comes to a close many people are sending out their Holiday cards and special wishes for a prosperous New Year. While most of us participate in this annual tradition, how often do we send out appreciations to OURSELVES?
I am fortunate to have a personal success coach, Virginia Goszewska, who I have known for seven years. Virginia has provided her insights to me as I left the corporate world and sprinted into the world of entrepreneurship and owning my own company. It has not been a smooth and easy road, but it has been one with exceedingly rich rewards for me and my family.
One of the things that Virginia does at the end of every year is to host a special get-together for some of her “special” clients, and this year we joined Virginia in her cozy house in Wimberly to enjoy some magnificent food and conversation. Every year we also take stock of our accomplishments for the year. It is always interesting to me to take a look at those things one could consider “failures,” and to turn my eyes ever so slightly sideways to view these experiences from the perspective of “wins.”
Late this summer I made a decision to leave a potentially promising business venture and to re-focus on my own company, Synergy Builders. This other company was trying to make positive changes in the culture of hospitals and other health-providers. Unfortunately, this is a complicated industry, and we were not able to make much headway. (By the way, I highly recommend watching the movie, “Sicko.”)
The decision to leave this company was bittersweet, but I had gained much information about the effect of conflict on the culture of organizations and employee, client, and customer relations, as well as making new friends and meeting new associates.
So, at the end of 2007 I took a look at the ways I could appreciate myself, in spite of having the experience of some things that didn’t turn out quite the way I had wanted. Hey, that’s life, and we have amazing choices in how we perceive our “failures” and “successes.”
I invite you now to take stock of this year past, and consider everything you have accomplished. Consider the following:
1. The nice things you’ve done for other people (or pets).
2. Vacations you’ve had and ways you’ve taken time to nuture yourself and your relationships.
3. New friends you’ve met.
4. Business associates with whom you share values, trust, and respect.
5. How you have supported your family and/or improved or healed relationships.
6. Improvements you’ve made in your life and learning (books, classes, etc.).
7. Steps you've made towards improving your health.
8. Home improvements.
9. Financial improvements.
10. Spiritual and/or religious life and growth.
2007 has been a very abundant year for me in many ways, as well, I celebrated Synergy Builder's
5th Anniversary!
I thank my clients, family, and friends for their support as I grow my business and learn from my accomplishments and my "failures." I do appreciate myself, and you, and I know 2008 is going to be a most rewarding year!
